A/N: Wow! Thank you everyone that reviewed and showed interest in this story! You guys are awesome!
This is the actual first chapter of this rewrite. As you could tell by the prologue, this version is extremely different than my original. I am going into much more detail in certain scenes that I merely mentioned before, as well as changing up certain scenes to better fit my current views and concepts.
One of my main objectives of this rewrite is to show this story from the point of view of a variety of characters, mainly Goku and Piccolo, as well as Gohan. This is accomplished by writing it directly from writing scenes from their POV. Not only that, but this also is a tool to hide elements that are in plain sight as if the character doesn't know it exists, then neither does the reader. In my opinion, this makes for a more interesting, dramatic story.
Unfortunately, most of my updates will not come this quickly. Like I had mentioned previously, I am in the middle of a busy time in my life, so don't expect weekly updates. I am merely posting what I have already completed up to this point (which is up through the next chapter) over the next few weeks. I will work on completing what I can as quickly as I can, then post it when complete. The good news is that I'm nearly done with Chapter 3 at this point so that may be added to the "completed chapter" category soon!
In the meantime, enjoy this chapter!
"Dialogue"
Thoughts/Mindscape
"Telepathic communication"
~Change in setting~
*Action*
Flashback/Dream sequence
Chapter 1: Haunted
~Cell Games Arena, Northern Wastelands; May 26th, Age 767~
"AHHHHH"
Goku can't help but wince at the sound of the scream from the eleven year old on the battlefield. Not just because of the physical pain that he himself is feeling at the moment, but because of the emotional pain that is causing his son to scream out to the heavens.
This is not the way he wanted this to happen.
A lot has occurred to get to this point. His patience both as a warrior and a father has been tested to the absolute limit. There have been many times throughout the whole series of events that has led up to this point where he wanted to go out on the battlefield and help his son, protect him from any sort of pain. Any good father would feel the same way if their precious child was in danger. At the same time though, his son has already proven to everyone here that he is the only one capable of destroying the monster that has been terrorizing Earth. Not only that, but as a warrior, he also knows that he has to respect the warrior that his son has become and not interfere.
After all, he would not have sent his son out to do this if he wasn't absolutely positive he would win.
But even now that the deed has already been carried out, as his son continues to scream his lungs out he wonders if he made the right decision. Yes, Gohan's ki is increasing at an absolutely phenomenal rate. He already can tell that his son has broken the barrier that all of the saiyans have been trying to break ever since they realized it was possible. His ki just continues to skyrocket after each pained scream. His son's ki is now so much greater than his own that it's almost laughable, but it also makes Cell's look like the Earth compared to the Sun. The Earth raised saiyan doesn't know if the green android is hiding any more power, but he's positive that even if he is, it's not even close to the amount that Gohan is emitting at the moment, at least if the expression of pure fear on Cell's face is anything to go by. This thought makes Goku smile in pride for a moment.
Yes, Gohan's power is phenomenal…
But at what cost?
That smile of pride instantly fades at the sound out his son letting out another inhuman sounding scream. The pure amount of pain he can feel coming out of that scream is becoming absolutely unbearable. Gohan's power has always been drawn out by strong emotions, usually fear or anger. Of course the saiyan father knew this, and his expectation was to have Cell bring out this power by forcing Gohan into a corner.
Instead however, the diabolical bio-android had used torture to bring it out, both physical and emotional. It took sending out a bunch of mini-Cells after everyone, and the death of a valued ally, but Cell was finally able to push his son over the edge.
And this is the result.
*Boom*
Goku is brought out of his thoughts about his son by a powerful explosion. He looks up from where he's lying and only sees a cloud of blue dust in front of him. After a moment, the cloud clears, revealing an incredibly shocking sight.
His son, completely changed.
At first glance, not much appears to be different about Gohan. His hair seems to have darkened a shade and now shines a pure golden color, and it also is standing straight up. The pre-teen's aura has also changed, still golden like before, but now bolts of blue electricity are dancing around his form and jumping off of his body every now and then. Speaking of his son's body, it appears to have grown even more, his muscles bulking out significantly, but not too much where it impairs his movement like Trunks' 'ultra super saiyan' form.
Goku can feel a change in his son's ki though. It is enormous beyond his comprehension like he felt before, however, it now feels… different. He can't really put a word on what it is that is different, only that it's different at all… like it's been tainted somehow. This causes great confusion to the saiyan father for a few moments.
That's when Gohan finally looks down at him and he gets a good look at his son's eyes.
And suddenly, all becomes clear for him.
And the truth is absolutely horrifying.
~Son Household, Mount Paozu, 439 East Mountain District; June 23rd, Age 767~
He shoots up in his bed, panting heavily. Sweat drips down his face with his eyes wide open, staring blankly into the dark room. He greedily inhales some of the sweet oxygen from the air as he tries to shake off the memories of yet another night terror. Looking to his left instinctually to check on his wife, he sees her sleeping soundly into the night through the darkness, and lets off a silent sigh of relief that he at least didn't wake her this time.
Now groaning, he shakes his head to try and clear his thoughts. A month has passed since that fateful day! Why is he still having nightmares about it? Heck, he's not even the one that was at the center of all of the stress and pain that day!
He can't even imagine what kind of nightmares Gohan has been having…
He subconsciously reaches out to feel his son's ki at the moment, an automatic reaction anytime he feels threatened or afraid. He doesn't really understand it too well, but he has a special connection with his son; its like he can feel his emotions. If his son is having a nightmare or is ever in any sort of trouble, he will know right away. But much more importantly, the feeling of his son's ki always comforts him. Gohan has always evoked a sense of calm and peace within him. Whenever he needs to calm down or needs to draw some extra strength and confidence from within himself, all he has to do is reach out for his son's ki and all becomes better.
He sighs in relief after feeling that his son is in an, unfortunately rare, peaceful slumber at the moment. Much like him, Gohan has been having frequent night terrors ever since he destroyed the green grasshopper-like android for good. His son was a true hero that day, surpassing himself and everyone else, putting a monumental gap between them in power, and defeating the greatest threat Earth had ever seen; however, it didn't come without consequences…
Bringing him back to his nightmare.
Putting his hands to his head, he recalls the flashback to the Cell Games he had. He's not surprised by the content of the dream, as he has been reliving the same moment over and over again. At first he was confused as to why he kept reliving that specific memory, but now he thinks he's figured out. It was those moments before he saw his son's transformed eyes that were the worst moments of his life. Those were the moments when he realized his misgivings as a father. He realizes now that if he would have just paid more attention than he did, then he would have seen that his plan was going to backfire on him from the beginning.
He didn't expect his son to not only figure out his plan, but tell Cell about it, causing the android to work endlessly to try and bring it out. He also didn't realize the absurd amount of resolve his son had to keep in his power. It seems that Gohan has a huge fear of this hidden power of his, something that he never realized his son feared. He knew that Gohan knew about this power. He was certain that his son was aware that he grows incredibly strong when it comes out. He never would have guessed though that the incredibly talented chibi he calls his son was actually afraid of his gift.
Most of all though, he had no clue how much his son hated to fight. He hated it so much that he would refuse to fight even the most diabolical threat Earth has ever seen, one that had killed literally millions of people. Of course he understands not wanting to kill; Goku would go to great lengths to prevent himself from killing anyone he didn't need to, but in this case, he knows that Cell was one of the few beings that actually needed to die. He had learned from the whole Frieza debacle that some people will never change no matter what. Cell was definitely one of those people.
It was a combination of these aspects of his son that caused his plan to completely unravel on him. Instead of Cell pushing Gohan to his limits in a competitive battle like he had planned on happening, his son had refused to fight completely, frozen in fear of what might come about if he released his powers. This lead he monster to instead not only torture his son physically, but mentally and emotionally as well in order to bring out this power.
And that shouldn't have happened.
He should have known that Gohan wouldn't want to bring out that power! He's the boy's father for crying out loud! He's supposed to know the kid better than anyone else! How was it that he didn't know that his son would react that way? Was it because he's a bad father? But he loves his son more than anything! Isn't that the most important criterion for being a good father?
Maybe, but he assumes it also takes more than just that.
He realizes now that he should have told Gohan his plan from the get go. His son is a logical kid after all, who is much more mature than a normal eleven-year-old. Then maybe Gohan would have entrusted him with the information about his trepidations with his hidden power earlier.
About a week after the Cell Games, Goku was finally able to coerce Gohan into telling him all about what was going through his mind before he lost his temper and let loose his mind-boggling power. If he would have realized just how much his son feared his special gift from the kais, then perhaps he may have been able to help the chibi demi-saiyan alleviate those fears.
But instead, Gohan is now more afraid of them than ever, and in all honesty, he doesn't blame him at all. Yes, Gohan finally had control of those powers that were so out of control before, as he was able to sustain them through another super saiyan transformation, but that only gave him physical control. Mentally, he was not the same.
And that's what's truly horrifying about all of this.
Goku will never forget that look that Gohan had in his eyes when he looked at him after he destroyed that first Cell Junior. That haunted look that those turquoise eyes held was the single most fearsome sight he had ever seen. The look of pure pain and hatred that he saw in those eyes terrified the saiyan father more than anything before. It's not because of the look that the eyes held. He had seen similar looks from most of the villains he's faced in the past. No, it was the fact that it was Gohan's eyes that held that look. And he knows that the look wasn't directed at him or anyone other than Cell and his minions, but it's the fact that Gohan—his son—had that look in his eyes at all that makes him shiver just thinking about it.
Remembering that sight of his son's eyes alone had made him determined to help his son through all of this. Right after his son had told him about the fears he had about his hidden powers, Goku had apologized to his son profusely for putting him through all of that to begin with. Of course Gohan being the incredibly amazing son that he loves with all of his heart, had forgiven him instantly, stating that he never once blamed him for what happened. How he managed to get such an incredible kid for a son he will never know.
Still though, he had told his son that he will help him learn to control those powers that he had just gained through intense training. Surprisingly, Gohan didn't object at all to the training, although Goku did have to persuade his wife to allow it. And so, with the additional help of Piccolo, he has been training his son for the past three weeks in order to alleviate his son's fears of his hidden powers that he might need to utilize in the future. He also wants to give his son confidence in his ability to not lose himself mentally when he goes to that next level.
This thought makes Goku sigh. As much as Gohan seemed to be for the idea of training his new form in theory, he seems to be hesitant while actually training with them physically. While Gohan can access the transformation which Piccolo and him have creatively dubbed 'super saiyan 2' at will, his mental control becomes shaky once he enters that state. This has led Gohan to avoid going to the next level as much as possible, even taking quite the beating from them while trying to force him into it. Only twice since the training started has Gohan transformed, and both of those times the chibi had felt incredibly guilty afterwards because he would beat both him and Piccolo into submission until the demi-saiyan finally realized what he was doing.
Goku has yet to see that haunted look in his son's eyes again though. For that he is grateful.
He admits that at times, Gohan has been very brutal. It still amazes him how powerful his son is. Even when both Piccolo and him double-team Gohan, they still stand no chance against the demi-saiyan child when he's a super saiyan 2…
And Gohan knows it too.
This has lead the demi-saiyan to constantly taunt and berate them, all the while showing them no mercy in the fight. While a super saiyan 2, Gohan has never pulled punches and has always gone out of his way to try and show just how superior he is. It's as if he completely changes and the transformation takes over.
As bad as he gets though, Goku has never feared for his life when fighting his son. Even though Gohan has limited control of his mental state when transformed, he knows that his son would never seriously hurt him, or hurt him in any permanent way; he still has complete and absolute trust in his boy. Still, he knows that despite how incredibly powerful his son has become, the chibi demi-saiyan's ki hasn't reached its limit.
Piccolo and him have discussed some possibilities on why Gohan has such a difficult time with this transformation. His former rival believes that Gohan might be gaining power too quickly, and that this dramatic increase in power is altering his mental state in an unfavorable way. If this theory is true, then the last thing they want to do is to make Gohan stronger.
However, Goku personally believes that this difficulty comes simply from a lack in confidence from his son. This is a thought that makes him feel even more guilty since he believes that it was the way that Gohan obtained this power—from being tortured—that has the demi-saiyan associating this power with even more fear and anger than he did before. In turn, he is much more afraid of the power. This then leads to self-frustration and anger that Gohan can't get over this fear, creating a dangerous downward spiral of lack of control of his emotions. All of this adds up to his lack of control of the super saiyan 2 form, leading to even lower self-confidence.
He concludes that he desperately needs to help his son with his confidence. He knows that it won't be easy, but it will work wonders not only in his fighting, but in the way he lives his life. As he shakes off his latest nightmare and crawls back into bed with his wife slumbering peacefully next to him, he is suddenly flooded with determination to help his son with his confidence problem. He knows that he can do it!
After all, what kind of dad would he be if he didn't?
One of the universal energy sources among living things is glucose, a six-carbon simple sugar that, when broken down, is able to be chemically metabolized into molecules of Adenosine Tri-phosphate, or ATP. This is considered the most important universal molecular energy source. Without ATP, certain key chemical reactions will not occur.
He reads the passage in his textbook, engrossed by the topic. His mother had wanted him to study for a few hours before he went out to train with his father, and he had simply agreed. It's not like he doesn't like studying; in fact, he has always loved being able to expand his knowledge, finding something satisfying about being able to learn something new and apply his knowledge to the real word. He just doesn't like to be forced to do it, like his mother had done excessively in his earlier years. He's glad that she seems to be a bit more mellow these days, and isn't nearly as strict as she used to be, though he admits, she still is a very strict teacher.
Normally when glucose is taken in by an organism it is broken down in a process called "glycolysis." This process transforms the molecule into two three-carbon pyruvate molecules, generating two ATP molecules and two molecules of protonated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NADH in the process. NAD, the deprotonated form of NADH, is another biologic molecule essential in this process. It acts as an electron acceptor during the stages of glycolysis, as well as the Creb's cycle, which will be discussed in more detail later on.
As he continues to read, the chibi eagerly takes notes, making sure that he will be able to study the abridged version of this later. The demi-saiyan admits that he finds the subject of cellular biochemistry rather interesting. Thinking about it further, he also finds it ironic that he is learning this subject just once month after defeating an android built off of the very concepts that he is studying in this unit.
At this point, each pyruvate molecule goes through one of two molecular pathways of metabolism: the fermentation pathway, or the Creb's cycle, the latter of which will lead to the electron transport chain. Which way the pyruvate goes depends on the organism and whether or not oxygen is present in the body.
Fermentation is much less efficient in the fact that it doesn't generate any more ATP molecules, but only oxidizes NADH back to NAD. This allows glycolysis to continue by allowing more electrons to be accepted from other glucose molecules in the glycolysis pathway. This is an inefficient way of using glucose molecules, as it only generates two ATP molecules total from the entire glycolysis/fermentation process, but it is convenient in the fact that it does not require the presence of oxygen to do so. Usually only unicellular organisms, such as anaerobic bacteria and yeast, are able to survive off of fermentation, as more complex multicellular organisms need more energy. This is why organisms such as humans need oxygen, as it is the best molecule at accepting the electrons at the end of the electron transport chain, the most efficient way of generating ATP.
After reading that last paragraph, the chibi scrunches his face in thought. That's the reason why humans need oxygen? So they can go through this process of generating energy in the form of ATP?
For some reason, his thoughts suddenly go to Frieza at this. That space tyrant once said that he didn't need oxygen to survive, so how was that? Did he do fermentation? But this book said that only unicellular organisms are able to live off of that, and that's because that process doesn't generate that much ATP. He knows that Frieza needed more energy than that, especially considering how strong he was. So do arcosians (he thinks that's what he heard Vegeta call Frieza's race) use a different electron acceptor at the end of the electron transport chain?
He frowns at that thought. Frieza also said he could survive in the vacuum of space, meaning that there are no gasses whatsoever to breathe in. Perhaps the arcosian race doesn't use glucose as an energy source, or perhaps they make use of the glucose go through a completely different process of glycolysis.
The demi-saiyan child palms his head, shaking it slightly. This stuff is really complicated!
He then thinks of Cell, and how he came about. The green menace had said himself that he was made from the cells of all of the greatest warriors of the universe, but how that came to be is what confuses the demi-saiyan. How in the world was Dr. Gero able to merge all of the traits of, not only the humans, but the saiyans, namekians, and arcosians all into one DNA sequence? Not only that, but the evil doctor was able to do it in a way where all of the best qualities of all of the races came out and didn't even interfere with each other! And don't even get him started on how Cell was able to have the innate ability to use everyone's techniques with ease. As much as he hates the man, he has to give Dr. Gero a lot of credit: he really was a genius.
"Hiya Gohan! Wha'cha studying this time?"
Said child grins, turning around to look at his father. "Hey Dad! I'm just studying cellular biochemistry!" He replies enthusiastically, clearly glad to see his dad. "I was just looking at glycolysis and how we make biological energy at the molecular level."
Gohan sees his father's eyes widen a bit before scratching the back of his head, eliciting a few giggles from the child prodigy.
"Wow, that sounds really complicated…" his father replies. This only makes him giggle more.
"It is pretty complicated, but nothing I can't handle," he counters. He smiles proudly at his father. "It's actually really interesting too!"
His father smiles as well, walking over and grabbing a chair before sitting down right next to him. "Is it now?" his father remarks. The older man looks at his book, and then his notes. "If it's that interesting, then perhaps you could explain it to me. I always am willing to learn something as long as it's interesting."
The child nods energetically before grabbing his pencil and his notebook and going over what he read with his father. He smiles to himself. This is why he loves his dad so much. While he knows that his father isn't as 'academically inclined' as many other people, the man is still is willing to let him explain something that the prepubescent child is positive his father has very little experience or interest in. Gohan spends a good two hours going over the intricacies of glycolysis, as well as fermentation, the Creb's cycle, and finally the electron transport chain. Throughout this process his father listens intently to what he was explaining.
"So we need oxygen to make energy?"
"Yep!" he answers his father. He grins, obviously proud that he explained it correctly to him. "Without the oxygen, there is no electric gradient driving the protons that travel through the ATPase at the end of the electron transport chain."
His father looks at him a bit confused at that. "But wait, I thought you said that oxygen was an electron acceptor, not a proton one."
The demi-saiyan grins at his father. He doesn't blame him for being confused by that. He was too the first time he saw this. "That's a good point Dad, but to get the answer to that question we have to go back to basic biochemistry. Remember that electrons are negatively charged while protons are positively charged, and opposite charges attract. Normally electrons are connected to a positive charge, but by themselves they are incredibly unstable.
"What this means is that free electrons rarely, if ever exist by themselves. In a biologic system, such as the human body, they only exist in the form of hydrogen. In this case, since an oxygen ion has a charge of -2 and a hydrogen ion, which is just a proton, has a charge of +1, having oxygen there is able to accept two protons, which will combine with two free electrons from the electron transport chain in the form of hydrogen atom.
"So, even though it's accepting two hydrogen atoms, those hydrogen atoms are sharing their electrons with the oxygen ion, making oxygen an electron acceptor and hydrogen an electron donor." He looks at his father and sees that him nod his head, signifying that he understands. Gohan grins before continuing. "However, the most important thing here is that the protons that the electrons combine with come from the matrix, or the inside part of the mitochondria."
"And the only way for those H+'s you drew…" His dad attempts to continue, pointing at the drawings on the notebook page, which are in an area labeled 'matrix,' "which I think are the protons, can get out is through that… turbine thingy, creating energy… right?"
His father finishes looking at him for confirmation, although Gohan can tell he's not as confident in that statement. He just gives his father a bright smile in return. "Correct!" he states, incredibly happy his father got it right. "The force that the protons create by going through that turbine shaped protein, which is called an ATPase, gives the protein enough energy to phosphorylate ADP to ATP, which is the high energy form of that molecule. The thing is though, without oxygen present, there is no electrical gradient that draws the protons from the matrix, which in turn stops the elections in the cristae from flowing. This shuts down the whole process, and is the core reason why oxygen is so essential for the vast majority of life."
"Wow son," the normally clueless saiyan replies. "That's really complicated, but you're right: it is interesting, plus you seem to have it down pat!"
"Thanks to you, Dad," he quickly replies, turning towards his father. "You allowing me to explain it to you really gave me a good way to practice and study these concepts. Thank you so much for letting me explain it to you!"
He's one hundred percent serious too. He didn't have nearly the grasp of everything before his father came in and helped him. He also knows that his father would much rather be sparring or training, but he took two hours out of that time to sit here and listen to him explain something that he's almost positive that his father has no real interest in. That's just the way his dad is though, always willing to help him in any way, even when it comes to studying. Who knows? Maybe his father wants him to become a scholar too…
Nah!
Nonetheless, he really appreciates the efforts that this great man he is lucky enough to call his father gave him, so much so that he jumps from his chair into his dad's lap and wraps his smaller arms around the man for a heartfelt hug. He really loves his dad a ton, and he really hopes that his father knows that.
He feels his father reciprocate his hug and he buries his head in the older man's chest, savoring the feeling. His father is also the only one who can make a hug feel so amazing. "I'm glad I could help little man," he hears his father state in reply, and he grins at the affectionate nickname. Eventually his father lets him go. However, the young demi-saiyan is content to stay in his father's lap as he looks up at his father's warm, smiling face. "But I do have a question."
"What is it Dad?"
His father smiles at him again, although this one seems to have more amusement behind it. "Well if all living multicellular beings need oxygen to make energy, then how in the world was Frieza and his family able to live without it?"
This causes the chibi to break out into laughter. "You know Dad, I was thinking that exact same thing earlier!" he manages to get out in between giggles. "And I can only say that I have absolutely no clue. Perhaps he was just trying to intimidate us by saying he could survive without it."
"I hope you're not distracting Gohan from his studies Goku!"
He jumps at the new voice. Although he knows that it's his mother, she still startled him nonetheless. How his mother can sneak up on both him and his father is still a mystery to him. He looks over his dad's shoulder to see his mother glaring at his father, although the chibi demi-saiyan can see that his mother isn't really angry at all. While her posture appears to be intimidating and her eyes are fixed into a narrow glare, the look behind her eyes only shows amusement. This isn't the first time that his mom has caught him with his father during one of his study periods, and she knows that his dad is actually helping him with his studies by letting him explain them to him.
…at least he hopes she does…
"Hey Chichi!" his father replies to his mother. Gohan can tell that even though he's not in any trouble that his dad is still a little nervous around his mom, which the chibi finds incredibly amusing. His mother really can be scary when she wants to be, but that's a rarity around the house… unless of course he's slaking in his studies. "Gohan was just explaining to me the biochemical pathways in how we make energy."
Gohan nods repeatedly over his father's shoulder, vehemently defending his father's claim. "Yeah mom, Dad's right. He sat with me for two whole hours while I explained everything to him. Now I know the stuff better than the back of my hand!"
His mother looks at both him and his father skeptically, and for a moment he actually worries that his father and him might be in trouble, but eventually his mother gives them both a smirk. "I see. Well then, I expect you to do well on your next exam then Gohan." He sighs in relief at that. He's glad that his mother understands. "I actually wanted to talk to you both anyways. I have some incredibly great news."
This catches his attention, as well as his father's. His dad turns around so that they are now both facing his mom, and the chibi can already tell that she seems really happy, almost giddy. Now while normally his mother is a cheerful, happy person, she seems to be almost beaming at both of them right now. Gohan finds himself getting excited too, finding his mother's mood contagious.
"What is it Chichi?" His father asks. His dad sounds excited too, probably picking up on his mother's mood.
For some reason, his mom puts both of her hands on her stomach, looking down towards it, almost as if cradling it. "Goku, Gohan, " She starts, her voice more tender that Gohan can remember hearing it for a long time. "Our family is about to gain a new member…" She then looks back at him and his father, the smile on her face looking incredibly warm and soft. "I'm pregnant."
The moment his mother utters those words, his world freezes.
Did she say what he thinks she said?
"Chichi that's incredible!" He hears his father shout, making him wince unconsciously.
Why doesn't he feel the same way?
His father moves him off of his lap, setting him on his feet before walking over and giving his mom a big hug. He just watches the scene happen in front of him, still frozen in place from his mother's sudden announcement. After another moment, his father turns towards him and grins, giving him a thousand watt smile. "Gohan, isn't this great?" He asks him. Gohan grimaces slightly at the great joy in his voice. "You're going to be a big brother like you always wanted!"
He knows he should be happy—heck, he should be thrilled! After all, what his father just stated is absolutely true. Ever since he was little, all he wanted was a little sibling. He absolutely desired someone that he can play with, share his secrets with, take care of and protect, and his mother has just told both him and his father that this desire of his is going to come true. He's going to be a big brother!
Then how come he's not excited?
For some reason, the only thought that comes into his head at the mention of him becoming a big brother is fear—not fear for himself, but for his soon to be little sibling. He fears for his sibling's well being. He knows that he himself can snap at any minute with a simple transformation. Before the Cell Games he would have been so happy that he would have shed tears of joy at the announcement, but now he can only fear for his sibling's safety.
Quickly, before either of his parents can notice, he runs over to his bedroom window, opens it up, and hastily jumps out of it, fleeing the scene as fast as his chibi body will let him. He has to get away. He can't let himself get attached to his sibling no matter what, lest they suffer the consequences. He doesn't know what he would do if he were to hurt them in a moment of rage, just like he did his father and everyone else.
~Cell Games Arena, Northern Wastelands; One Month Prior~
Gohan smirks ruefully, a stray lightning bolt passing his face as he watches his nemesis trembling. Cell is obviously trying to find the strength to rise to his feet after the beating he just received. This is just too great! The evil, diabolical, most viciously maniacal threat the Earth has ever seen, trembling before his power. That stupid green bastard is definitely getting what he deserves. After all, that freak killed millions of people without a second thought, just trying to gain enough strength to beat everyone and take over the Earth. Gohan also just can't forget how Cell sent all of his bastard 'children' after all of his friends. The android deserves every ounce of pain and suffering that he is feeling at the moment.
Not that he plans to stop the suffering anytime soon. No.
He's only just begun.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity for Gohan, Cell is finally able to stand on his own two feet. The demi-saiyan's smirk deepens at the fear he sees flash across the bastard's eyes before the bio-android flies into the sky suddenly. He just watches, amused at the creature's attempt to escape. He knows full well that he can catch up to the lunatic in an instant. Eventually though, Cell stops ascending and gets into a powering up stance midair, one that is very familiar to everyone present.
"Ka-me…" the android starts chanting, making Gohan raise an eyebrow. What is that bastard up to? What does he think he can accomplish with a Kamehameha? "Ha-me…" A bright ball of blue ki energy starts to form in Cell's cupped hands, growing brighter by the second, a smirk taking over his features. "Take a good load of this, Gohan! I'm going to blow up the Earth with this Kamehameha! Say goodbye to your precious planet!"
The demi-saiyan can hear his group of friends gasp, a few even yelling at him to run away and take cover at Cell's declaration. He however just stares at his enemy with an indifferent look. Does that moron really think that he will just watch and let that attack hit? Cell seems to just get stupider and stupider as this fight goes on. He smirks. Then again, he may have something to do with that, kicking the android around like the trash that he is. He's probably given the imbecile a few concussions. The thought makes him chuckle subconsciously.
"HA!" Cell yells furiously, shooting his arms forward and unleashing the mighty blast. Gohan just looks up, taking in the blast and measuring its strength. He admits that the ki attack looks impressive, the blast lighting up the air with a bright blue light and the ball of energy being quite enormous. However, this is nothing but child's play to him. He suddenly smirks at that particular thought since he is in fact a child.
Finally calculating how much ki he will need, Gohan starts creating his own Kamehameha, getting into his own kame stance. He silently starts chanting the famous words, trying to keep Cell unaware of his plan as long as possible. It probably isn't necessary, seeing as the green buffoon is actually laughing hysterically. He probably thinks that he won or some crap like that. The demi-saiyan shakes his head in disgust before concentrating once more on his attack. A blue orb, already twice as bright as Cell's forms between his hands. Once he feels like his opponent's attack is close enough, he thrusts his own arms forward and unleashes his attack.
"HA!" The demi-saiyan yells, a rush of blue ki leaving his outstretched hands and heading towards Cell's. The attack is much smaller then the android's, but he knows that it is also much more powerful. It comes as no surprise to him when his attack collides with Cell's and starts pushing it back, as if he were rolling a ball down a hill. The demi-saiyan grins as he sees his attack engulf the terror known as Cell. The bio-android struggles helplessly as he tries, without success, to push the attack back. A scream erupts from the blast before an explosion rings out in the sky, lighting it up and creating a gigantic gust of wind that blows everyone else off of their feet.
The boy smirks.
That had to hurt.
And to think, it was the idiot's own stupidity that caused that chain of events. Really, Cell must have been completely and utterly desperate to think that would actually work. Has the moron not seen how far outclassed he is here? After all, Gohan's new super saiyan transformation is out of this world with power. Even after a blast like he just launched he's not the least bit winded. In fact, the chibi feels like he could go on for hours at this pace! Eventually, the dramatics in the sky calm down and the winds cease, allowing everyone that got knocked over back to their feet.
He looks up towards where the explosion happened, and through the clearing smoke in the sky, he sees his enemy… or what's left of him. The bio-android is a complete mess at the moment, missing his entire right side of his body as well as the tips of the natural crown of his head. It appears as if the maniacal bastard is struggling just to hold himself in the air. He's shaking, most likely in pain, as he looks down at him. The amount of fear he sees in the green freak's eyes brings a certain sense of pride in him. He's the one the most powerful super villain of all time is afraid of. The bastard is finally getting what he deserves.
It's not like Gohan didn't warn him. He told him about this hidden power; the moron just didn't listen. Cell just had to make him angry by trying to torture him. And when that didn't work, the idiot sent out those freaky clones of his at the demi-saiyan's friends, many of whom he considers family, and even his own father. And if that was bad enough, that bastard killed the only being in the world that cherished life more than he and his father did.
He killed Android Sixteen.
The demi-saiyan snarls, clenching his fists at that thought. More sparks of blue electricity shoot off of his form at this, making the rocks within striking distance disintegrate at the touch of the deadly lightning. That green waste of life hasn't suffered nearly enough yet! The menace in the sky hasn't even come close to the pain that the world felt by his own doing. Even though he knows that he could easily end that bastard's life at any moment with the weakened state that his enemy's in, Gohan wants to prolong the suffering long enough to make his hated opponent feel the pain that he caused.
"Gohan! What are you waiting for?! Finish him off!"
His frown deepens, turning towards the one who shouted that out: his father. His dad clearly must have picked up on the fact that he is far superior to Cell at this point and can finish him off, so why is he so worried right now? It's completely transparent that his father is up tight about something, but he doesn't know what it could be. There's no doubt in his mind that he has this fight in the bag, so what's the big deal if he makes the evil android suffer a little more?
He tries to get this rather obvious point across to his father. "Finish him off?" He repeats his father's words. Turning his gaze back at the still shaking half-creature in the sky, he continues. "All in due time father. I will after he's suffered enough."
"Wait… what?" He hears his father's reply. If he didn't have saiyan hearing he might not have, as it was barely a whisper.
His gaze hardens as he glares at the suffering android, who is now trying desperately to gather enough ki to regenerate half of his body. "Cell has killed so many innocent people! He attacked you all when you guys weren't prepared to deal with it! He nearly killed everyone in the process! He even had the gauld to kill Android Sixteen, smashing his head right in front of my very eyes!" He growls at the memory that keeps coming back to him.
"Gohan, I understand where you're coming from." He hears his father reply. This brings him back to the moment before he has a chance to get lost in the pain that that memory brings. "But you should still finish him off while you have the chance! We don't know what he can do if he gets desperate!"
Turning his eyes back to the man he calls his father, he softens his gaze for a moment and gives his dad a smile. He really wants his father to know that he has everything in control, that after the android has suffered enough that he will put the freak out of his misery. "Don't worry Dad. I've got this covered. "
He sees his father looking at him a bit apprehensively, looking to reply, but his attention is brought back to the sky as Cell screams out before regenerating his body. Bastard must have finally gathered enough ki. He frowns at that. The monster wouldn't be able to do that at all if it weren't for his mentor. He smirks a moment later however as he sees the fury building up in the bio-android's face. Yes, he will be able to really get under his enemy's skin by sending the freak of nature into a psychotic rage.
"You!" Cell spits, shaking violently. He's obviously incredibly angry. "You will pay! I am the perfect warrior! The ultimate life form!" The android growls as his golden aura explodes around him and his ki starts to rise. He throws his arms above his head and screams out his fury to the heavens, making the pre-teen demi-saiyan raise his eyebrow. Cell's ki starts skyrocketing, increasing at a steady rate until it levels off at a level higher than that of a super saiyan at their max. However, the green menace's muscles have grown incredibly bulky, bulging out at an abnormal level.
Gohan smirks. The lunatic may be stronger than he ever was before, but he also will not be able to touch him. His enemy's bulk will slow him down substantially. As soon as he finishes that thought, the terror of the Earth lands right in front of him. He's so large that the weight of his huge form makes a crater in the Earth.
"Boy!" He shouts. Gohan winces uncomfortably. He's right in front of him. He didn't have to yell and make his ears bleed! "You will not defeat me," the insane android continues. The tone of his voice sounds much more feral than it did before. "Now witness my power!"
Gohan sighs as Cell sends a punch that is strong enough to blast straight through Mt. Everest, but is as slow as molasses, at him. As he dodges the painfully slow shot, he decides to humor the villain, realizing that he could give the bastard a bit of mental suffering as he makes him realize how fruitless his efforts are. Cell continues to send him punch after punch, kick after kick, even throwing a few head-butts into the mix, all in an effort to wipe him off of the face of the Earth. Gohan merely dodges them all with ease.
The increasingly delusional android continues on in this fashion, making Gohan sigh in annoyance at how boring this is starting to get. Sure, it was fun to watch this freak get so mad with rage at each missed punch in the beginning, but now it's just pathetically sad. The bastard is so blinded by his fury that he can't even see that all of his efforts are for nothing!
Finally, after another fruitless round of combos from his increasingly insane opponent, Gohan blocks one of the bulky grasshopper's gigantic fists with his right palm. A loud thunder crack sounds out upon the contact before the demi-saiyan quickly takes advantage of his position and sweep kicks Cell across the face. This sends the stunned android across the battlefield, dazed. Not one to miss an opportunity to take advantage of a moment of weakness from his opponent, the demi-saiyan child phases over to his terrifying enemy and gives him an Earth-shattering sucker punch to the gut. A sonic boom echoes through the valley, the power behind the blow forcing the super villain known as Cell to bend over reeling, coughing up purple looking blood.
In fact, Gohan notices that blood isn't the only thing the freak of nature seems to be coughing up.
The demi-saiyan watches the scene with both disgust and intrigue as he notices Cell's body start to morph and change shape. The bastard looks as if he has a really bad case of food poisoning and is trying to keep his lunch down. It appears as though he hit the freak too hard. Gohan smirks darkly at that thought. That horrendous creation of Dr. Gero's is finally starting to feel true pain.
Of course it's still not enough.
The boy is interrupted from these vicious thoughts when Cell finally loses his battle with whatever he was fighting to keep down, regurgitating what appears to be… legs? Gohan blinks a few times to clear his vision, but sure enough, it appears as if Cell is vomiting up what appears to be a human being! This thought thoroughly disgusts the pre-teen, but he can't help but continue to observe with morbid fascination as the green bio-android continues to regurgitate what appears to be a human body before he's finally able to get rid of the foreign object completely.
And what he sees makes his eyes widen, purely shocked.
Cell just vomited up Android Eighteen!
He looks down at the unfortunate android who is covered in bile, saliva, and blood before turning his attention back to Cell, eyes narrowing. The bastard looks to be undergoing some significant physiological changes now. He's probably reverting back to his second form without the female android powering his so-called 'perfect' form. His thoughts seem to be confirmed moments later as he is looking back into the face of a totally different Cell, one that he has never seen before. But one thing's for sure.
The bastard sure got a heck of a lot weaker.
Gohan frowns. Now this won't even be a challenge. Okay, so Cell wasn't a challenge at his best either, but this will be like fighting a baby! A very uncharacteristic sadistic smirk appears on the boy's face at this thought. Now the android will suffer even more! The thought pleases the pre-teen greatly. His bastard of an opponent will learn his place yet!
He walks casually over to Cell, making sure to step over Android Eighteen as he makes his way to his opponent. He will deal with her later. Right now his focus is on the villain that dared to eradicate innocent lives, especially that of Android Sixteen. He chuckles darkly as his opponent backs away, forgetting to even hide his fear.
"Yo-you're not a boy, you're a m-m-monster!" the bio-android stutters out, continuing to back away from the child.
Gohan frowns, his face darkening instantly. "I'm the monster?" He states, growling at his opponent. "I'm not the one who killed millions of innocent lives purely for personal gain and universal domination! I'm merely the one who will put a stop to it all! I am the one who will put you in your place for all of your misdeeds! You're the monster!" He growls once again before continuing his march.
"S-stay back! Get a-a-away from m-me!" Cell continues to stutter. Gohan internally chuckles. He has the bastard right where he wants him now. He quickly phases right in front of Cell, making the android fall on his butt in shock and fear.
"Make me," is the only thing that the demi-saiyan says before kicking Cell in the sky.
And then the beating begins.
Gohan quickly phases into the air, right above were the villain is headed. Apparently the bastard is too stunned by the hit to even try and take control of his flight. He comes right into the demi-saiyan's hitting range with his path unaltered. Gohan takes advantage by giving his opponent a devastating axe handle blow down towards the ground. The android flies downward in the exact opposite direction he was heading just moments before at a pace greater than the speed of sound, but Gohan doesn't let the freak off that easily. He instantly goes after his enemy, phasing just below where Cell is expected to hit, only to pound the bastard into the air again.
Gohan smirks subconsciously, phasing up into the sky to repeat the cycle, and does this for a good while. The way that he keeps shifting the momentum of his mortal enemy so suddenly and with as much force as he is must be taking a huge toll on not only the bio-android's body, but the bastard's brain. He knows his basic biology and physics. The quick, sudden changes in direction must be making his brain smash against his skull multiple times, concussing him many more times over; this is probably one of the reasons the super villain hasn't even been able to react at all to the beating he is getting. If his brain isn't mush by now, then he doesn't know what he can do to make it mush.
"Gohan!" The boy stops his tirade for the moment at the sound of that voice. Cell smashes into the ground for the first time since the bastard reverted back to his second form with a crash. "Finish him off now! There's no point in prolonging this any longer!"
He looks over at his father, the one who screamed that. "Wait Dad," He yells back, trying to keep his anger out of his voice. He doesn't want to take it out on his father, but he seriously is starting to get annoyed. "He needs to suffer a little more. He caused too much pain and hurt, and now he's finally getting what he deserves!"
"No Gohan!" His dad vehemently retorts. "He's suffered enough! He's suffered way too much in fact!"
Gohan frowns. Does his dad seriously not get it? Cell needs to suffer! What happened to what his father was saying earlier about understanding where he was coming from? "He's suffered too much!?" He shouts back furiously. Multiple lighting bolts shoot off of his body. "After everything he did? No, he deserves to suffer more! He deserves to pay for his crimes!"
"That's not for you to decide Gohan!" The demi-saiyan growls at that statement. If his father says one more thing he may have to go over there and shut him up. "That's King Yemma's job! He will get justice in the afterlife!" As he watches his father, he sees his face soften. "Gohan, this isn't like you!" The full-blooded saiyan continues. "I know you're not like this! You have too big of a heart to make someone suffer, even if they were a super villain!"
Gohan notices his dad's voice had broken at that last statement, but he just continues to growl in irritation at the interruption. "Well, Cell's a special case!" He retorts back. He crosses his arms over his chest. "He deserves to suffer for all it's worth after what he did to everyone!"
He then phases over to his father…
And punches him in the gut.
"And you, nor anyone else, is going to stop me until that bastard gets what he fully deserves."
He walks back over to the defeated Cell, who still hasn't moved an inch since he got driven into the Earth earlier. But as he is about to continue where he left off, he hears the soft sound of crying from behind him. Curious, Gohan turns around, and his eyes widen to twice their size.
His father is crying.
This latest development is so amazingly stunning to the demi-saiyan that he completely forgets his mission to make his enemy suffer for all he's done for the moment. He's taken aback by how much pain he sees in his father's eyes. When he makes eye contact with the saiyan, the man he calls his father flinches slightly, as if scared of his son. And then, Gohan realizes something, something that hurts him more than any physical wound he's ever had before.
He hit his father in a moment of rage.
His father is scared of him.
Cell was right.
He is a monster!
~Mount Paozu, 439 East Mountain District; Present Time~
Gohan will never forget what he did a month ago. He really was a monster, hell-bent on making his mortal enemy suffer for all it was worth. He knows that his father was right: Cell didn't deserve what he dished out to the android. Nobody in the universe deserved to suffer that much, especially at the hands of someone who is supposed to be pure of heart. But worse than that, he was so blinded by his rage that he didn't even care about his father's or anyone else's safety. If they were in the way of him achieving his goal, then they needed to be put in their place.
This is why he must stay away from his little sibling. He doesn't trust himself around them. He would be more of a danger to them than anything else if he were to lose it in their presence. Heck! Look at his father during the Cell games! If Gohan was willing to attack and hurt his strong, loving father when he was standing in his way, then imagine what could happen with his venerable little sibling.
No, he cannot get too attached to them. He's way too unstable and dangerous.
The child's eyes widen when he feels his father's ki start to chase after him. It's then that he realizes the way that he left his house. His eyes widen, the fact that his father will probably try to talk him into coming back hitting him. Panicking, he quickly transforms into a super saiyan and flies as fast as he can, knowing that he is still the fastest out of any one of the Z-fighters. At first, he feels himself pulling ahead of his father dramatically, making him relax a little.
That is before his father appears right in front of him.
Startled, the pre-teen yelps before coming to a stop right before he crashes into his father. Inwardly he curses his father for knowing how to do instant transmission. That's the only way his dad would have been able to catch up to him. He makes a mental note to himself to learn the incredibly useful technique when he gets the chance. It is also at this time that he realizes that his father also transformed into a super saiyan. He even appears to be quite winded, probably from all the effort he had to exert from trying to catch up to him. Gohan tries to take advantage of this observation by attempting to fly around his father. Unfortunately his dad is too quick, instead catching him in a fierce hug. He struggles for a moment before giving in and sighing. He knows escape is futile now.
"Gohan! What's gotten into you?" He can tell that his father is clearly worried by the way that his dad spoke. He instantly feels a bit guilty for worrying him, but he will still not risk hurting his sibling by being around in such an unstable state. "I thought you said that you wanted a little brother or sister, yet the moment you learn that you will get one you run away. What's wrong, little man?"
He flinches at the endearing title that his father only uses with him. He doesn't want to hurt him or make him worry anymore, so he decides to look up and tell him his fears. His father has always been able to read him like a book anyways. "Dad, I can't get attached to my little brother or sister. I'm… I'm too dangerous."
"What are you talking about son?" his father asks him, sounding very confused. He sighs, figuring that his dad wouldn't understand without an explanation.
"I'm too unstable Dad," he starts. "I don't trust myself to be able to be around my future sibling if I have a chance of turning into the monster I became at the Cell Games. If I get attached, then they have the chance of being hurt in the crossfire if I ever get angry again… it's better if they didn't even know me."
"Gohan, that's just not true—"
"But it is true!" Gohan retorts before his father can feed him crap that it's not. "Do you not remember what I was like during the Cell Games?! Do you not remember the way that I literally tortured Cell for as long as I possibly could? And do you not remember the way that I attacked you, my own father, when you were trying to persuade me otherwise!? Because I do!"
He quickly yanks himself out of his father's grip and turns away, hiding the tears that are starting to leak out of his eyes at the memory. He truly is ashamed of himself for what he became during the Cell Games. He can only imagine what his father was thinking at the time, but he's certain that he was afraid of him. That much he could tell from that one glance into his dad's eyes. Finally, he sighs, continuing where he left off in a much more dejected tone. "I can't allow myself to get close to anyone else, especially my future sibling, if I have the chance of becoming that monster again."
"Gohan that's enough!"
He turns around to face his father at that, and is shocked to see his dad giving him a fierce glare. "You are not a monster! What happened at the Cell Games is over and done with! I had complete faith in you back then, and I have complete faith in you now. You are one of the purest souls in this universe son, and I know this from experience."
"But Dad, I attacked you!" He retorts instantly. "Not only that, but when I looked back at you, you seemed to be afraid of me!"
"No, you're wrong Gohan." His father counters. "Yes, you may have taken it too far back at the Cell Games, but I was never afraid of you. Shocked maybe, but I never feared you. In fact, I understand completely why you did what you did."
He continues to gape at his father, not really believing what he is hearing. "What?"
His dad sighs, shaking his head before floating closer to him and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Gohan, you were under so much stress during the games. You had to watch as the people you cared about greatly got hurt and beaten while not being able to do anything about it. I realize that if I had been in that same situation, I would have lost it too."
"R-really?" The child asks, once again stunned at what his father said. It almost sounds like his father is saying that he would have done the same thing that he did at the Cell Games, given that they switched roles.
"Yeah son," his father confirms. "When I saw what you went through on that battlefield, it reminded me of my own super saiyan transformation on Namek. I was so angry back then that all I wanted to do was make Frieza suffer for all that he did to everyone: the hundreds of Namekians, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, and you. In my rage, my only goal was to destroy him and make him suffer.
"Gohan, not only were you under even more pressure than I was at that time, but you also transcended into a new super saiyan form that no one has ever seen or experienced before. That, combined with the fact that you also are only eleven years old, and you get what happened a month ago. I really can't imagine what I would have done if I had been in your situation at your age, but I know that I would have reacted probably even worse than you did."
"A-are you serious Daddy?" Gohan replies. He doesn't really know how to take this new information. He's not sure if he even believes what his father is saying.
"I'm dead serious son," his father replies. The way that his eyes look confirms to him that his dad is indeed telling the truth. "I would like to ask you this then. After telling you all of this, do you think that I am a danger to your unborn sibling?"
"No!" he answers immediately. His father dangerous? That has to be the most preposterous concept in the entire universe!
"But Gohan," his father answers. "I just told you that when I turned into a super saiyan that I made Frieza suffer in my rage and allowed him to destroy a planet in the process. I also told you that I would have done the same to Cell if I was in your shoes."
"But you never did that again, and you wouldn't ever do that again," the demi-saiyan replies instantly. He knows that his father may have made Frieza suffer in his rage, but he knows that he would never hurt him, no matter how angry he got. He knows that his father is a pure soul that wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't deserve it, blinded by rage or not.
For some reason, his father smiles at his reply. "Exactly!" he states. His dad sounds incredibly proud of himself. "Son, if you don't think that I am dangerous when I basically did the same thing that you did, then you shouldn't think that you are dangerous either. I know that what you did at the Cell Games was not really you, and I know that the real you would never let any harm come to your new sibling, the same way that I would never let any harm come to you!"
Gohan's eyes widen at the connection his father just made. He can't believe that he didn't see it earlier! His father just proved to him with irrefutable logic that he should be able to trust himself around his unborn brother or sister. He feels like he's been slapped in the face. He was about to run away from his little brother or sister due to the off chance that he got consumed by that rage that he felt at the Cell Games again. He knows though that if he has anything to do with it, that he will never let that happen again. He can't believe he was about to abandon his little sibling!
What was he thinking?
"Dad… I'm sorry," the demi-saiyan apologizes, ashamed of what he was about to do. "I guess I was being really stupid huh…"
"No you weren't Gohan," his father replies. The older saiyan pulls him into another hug. He relishes the feeling that his father gives him in this embrace, and he finds himself relaxing as his father continues. "I understand why you must be so afraid of this new power of yours, and I know that you were trying to do what you thought was best for your little sibling. But Gohan, running away would not have solved anything. You still would be afraid of your powers, and you wouldn't have anyone to help you learn to control them. You are going to need to be able to control your new super saiyan form eventually. Besides," His father pauses He looks down at him, smiling. "I want you to try and feel your sibling's ki from inside you mother and tell me you don't want to be apart of their life."
He looks up at his father from his position in the man's arms. He believes that the ki inside of his mother is too small at this point to feel from this far away, but he gives it a shot anyways. He knows that he can sense his father from pretty much anywhere, so he knows that his senses are pretty strong. He lowers his head and closes his eyes, trying to focus on finding the precious ki signature of his little sibling. He becomes skeptical since he can barely feel his mother from where they are, but he finds her and tries to concentrate on picking up any other ki signatures in the area.
And then he feels it.
His eyes shoot open, and he looks as his father with his jaw dropped. The ki he feels from within his mother is not only extremely present, but he can also feel how incredibly pure and comforting it is. It must be the most pure ki he has ever felt! Not only that, but as soon as he felt the ki, he instantly felt a warm, tingly feeling well up inside of him. He knew right then that he has already fallen in love with the unborn child. It's absolutely absurd how he couldn't have felt this ki before!
"Dad… he's amazing!" He whispers, too in awe of the new life that is growing inside of his mother to speak any louder. He's also able to tell from the ki that the unborn child is going to be a boy! He's going to get a little brother!
His dad looks a little shocked for a moment, and Gohan isn't sure why that is, but he quickly replaces that expression with the grin that is all too familiar on his father's face. "See son? I knew you'd love him."
"Yes Dad, he feels incredible. I would never be able to not be in his life." He then gives his father what he hopes is a determined expression. "Dad, I promise you that I will do everything I can to protect my new brother, even if it means that I have to master my new super saiyan transformation." He means it too. He doesn't understand it, but by just feeling out his little brother to be's ki, he knows that he already loves the child more than anything, even his own father! There is no way that he will let himself fall into that rage again.
Not as long as he has his little brother to protect.
